Thursday, July 26, 2012

This week I'm in Branson Missouri with my daughter's dance team as they are clogging here for the week. We left out of Boise early Monday morning. It definitely adds a new dimension to things when traveling with 17 people, a five hour layover, and a four hour car drive to finally make it to our destination safely.

It wasn't all that long ago that when boarding a plane to travel, I would have to squeeze into the airplane seat in hopes that the seatbelt would fit around my bulging stomach without having to ask for a seatbelt extension. It was something that made me very nervous and uncomfortable because at one point I had to ask for one of these contraptions. Good news! When I boarded the plane Monday morning, I was in the middle seat (another spot that used to scare me as I was always afraid of overflowing into someone else's personal space). I sat down, reached around me for my seatbelt, and was amazed at how much EXTRA there was. It was so cool! My friends of course thought it would be fun to measure just how much extra there was!

See, it's the small and simple things that I continue to notice on a daily basis in my life that make me so grateful and blessed to see who I've become. It's a good feeling. A peaceful feeling.

Friday, July 20, 2012

If you like bananas and love peanut butter, you'll love this tasty summer treat! Simply take a banana, slice it up, and put it in the freezer. (Frozen bananas are the best!) Once your banana is frozen, take it out and put it in a dish, and then drizzle it with warm peanut butter that you've put in the microwave for 10 seconds. (I use Valencia Peanut Butter with Roasted Flaxseed from Trader Joe's but any all natural peanut butter will do.)

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Have you ever heard people say this? "I'll be happy when I get to 125." Or how about "I'll be happy when I'm the same size I was in high school." Let's not forget about the next two. "I'll be happy when I weigh what I did when I first got married." " I just want to look like what I did before I had kids." I know I'm guilty of such thoughts. I always said, "I want to be 140-145." For me that was huge coming from a girl that was nearly 300 pounds. Seems reasonable, right? Not always. The reality of it is that we should never get fixated with the number on the scale. It's a great guide but it doesn't get to make all the decisions. Your body does.

I remember shortly after I met with Jacob my trainer for the first time and I told him of my goal weight, he said he could get me to whatever weight I wanted the scale to say but that my body might tell me otherwise. Huh? In other words, my body might be happier at a different weight. What do I mean when I say my body might be happier elsewhere? Well, for me it means getting down to that lower weight range (the day I hit my goal I weighed in at 143) and then when I go into maintenance mode if the scale wants to move slightly up or down it will, and it will then decide where it's "happy place" will be. One of the things Jacob warned me about when I reached my goal was letting my body find it's "happy place" - the place where it was most comfortable. I remember him telling me it's so much harder to make it a lifestyle and a forever thing if every time you eat something naughty the scale goes up. You don't want it to get discouraging and feel like all the work and effort you've put in is going to be too hard to maintain, when in all reality your body just may need to find its "happy place" which is usually within a five pound range. For me, I wanted to weigh 145 and I'm always 143-147. Always! Yes, sometimes 147! Do I get upset? No! Can I still fit into my size 6 clothing? Of course! I have found that if you allow your body to do just this, and find a "happy spot" where it's most comfortable for you, where you can still LIVE and enjoy normal food including treats here and there, you'll be far more successful in keeping the weight off and making the new you someone who will be around for quite some time.

It's been 19 months since that Saturday in January that I reached my goal weight and I'm happy to say that I've maintained that weight since. How have I done it? I've let my body do the talking and have not gotten fixated on a number in my head.

What are your goals? Are you fixated on that number at the end of your journey? If so, start entertaining the idea that your body will be the one doing the talking in the end. It will let you know where it is comfortable hanging out, without changing your clothing size one bit! The scale is there just to play mind games. The body is there to tell us how it is!

This was my scale weight this morning. I know, scarred feet, missing toenails, and in need of a pedicure but I just wanted you to know that even if the scale would have read 147 today, I would have not panicked! I've learned my body has a "happy place" and it can vary from day to day. Chances are, your body has a "happy place" too.

Friday, July 6, 2012

I often get emails and people asking me if I ever eat treats. I know I've addressed this before, but here's a perfect example:

Looks good huh? (My Mom made it.) How about this one.....

SO to answer your.... YES! I do eat treats, in moderation of course. Holidays are a perfect example of a time when family often gets together and an assortment of treats are served. This is a time when I plan ahead. Planning ahead is key in being successful in all of this as far as maintenance. (Remember when I was actively losing, I was very strict and focused on my end goal.) The best part is, I loved every bite and felt not one bit of guilt!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

One of the things that happens when we lose weight is that we will inevitably need to buy new clothes. As exciting as this may be, there is also danger in the process. Here are a few things I might caution you from my experience.

The first one for me was something I really struggled with - shopping in the wrong section or trying on clothes that don't fit. Now this is not to say that I was weaseling my way into the teenage section and trying to fit into clothes that just didn't look good on me. Actually it's just the opposite. Every time I went into a store to look at clothes I was drawn to the "plus size" section and or clothes that were way too big on my shrinking body. Why would I do this? I was excited that my body was changing and getting smaller. Wouldn't I want smaller clothes? Of course, my brain just didn't have a picture of smaller Paige yet and out of habit would gravitate to the bigger clothes. With that comes the "fat style" shirt, I like to call it. Basically one style fits all. Just big and baggy and will cover the rolls. That's all I knew. In fact I always looked for cute colors and maybe a unique pattern to go along with it, but as far as any style to the shirt, well when you're obese that doesn't exist. Your body unfortunately becomes the style.

Really the only way for me to get through this one was to take my best friend along. Even then, for a while this was a struggle. Probably because she is a size 0 and looks good in anything she puts on. I was nervous. I can't shop in sections where there is style and curves and tapering. In fact when you've been obese for so long you have a warped sense of what clothes look like and how something may look on yourself. I can't tell you how many times my friend would hold something up or bring something into the dressing room and I'd think "There is no way I can wear that!" Then I try it on and it not only fits, but it looks cute! Having someone there as your coach/guide is a huge thing, especially when you're tapping into clothing you've never had the chance to experience.

(This was one of those dressing room moments.)

The other thing I might caution you about is not letting your brain get stuck on a certain size while the weight is coming off. I fell into this habit and I often times had my friend telling me as we were thumbing through racks at the store. "You're not a 10 anymore, you're an 8! Or You're not a large top, you're a medium!" This continued for most size phases I went through and it's just how our fat brain works, so having that special person/friend to take with you is extra important. Why? Because sure the clothes you pick will fit - you're picking things that are too big! Even if they are only a little too big you shouldn't buy them. You want only ones that fit your true size. This can be a hard one. Even now, I find myself rummaging through 8's when I go to a store and I'm a 6!! It's goofy and silly in some ways. I know a lot of people who'd die to be a 6! It all goes back to training our brain and owning what we've accomplished.

The last thing I wanted to mention about clothing is related to the stages of weight loss. I found it very helpful to just get the basics when I graduated to a smaller size. Couple pair of pants, few tops, and whatever else you need to get through the next 15 pounds. I find that this is particularly important if you have a lot of weight to lose like I did. It's exciting to buy clothes in a smaller size but you don't want to get too many and get attached to their cuteness, get comfortable with them, and settle for anything less than you have your mind and heart set on achieving. In other words you don't want to settle for just a partial weight loss. You want to go all the way to your goal. In fact, I didn't get the most adorable, cutest clothes until I hit my goal and went on a shopping spree. In the meantime, it was basics and plains, just to get me by.

Shopping can be fun and should be, especially when you're changing your life around. Have fun with it. Take that friend with you. Only buy what you need. Shop in the right department. Get the right size and celebrate what you are becoming!

Same week, same weight, clothes that are too big, and clothes that fit!